At this spring’s A Human Library event, people will have the chance to “check out” people from all walks of life. Readers can also explore these exceptional accounts and biographies written from personal knowledge or special sources from authors that represent a wide range of unique experiences.
Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted by Suleika Jaouad
At age 22, author Jaouad is living in Paris and pursuing a career as a journalist when she starts feeling ill. Diagnosed with leukemia, the next several years are marked by hospital stays and profound changes in her personal life, all of which is chronicled in her column for The New York Times. Following her recovery, she embarks on a road trip to visit the people who wrote to her during treatment. Honest and eloquent, this is a memoir you
won’t want to miss.
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya
As a young child, Clemantine and her older sister fled the Rwandan genocide. They spent the next several years migrating through seven African countries, moving in and out of refugee camps. When they are granted asylum in the United States and move to the Chicago suburbs, Clemantine and Claire experience extreme culture shock. A powerful story about the consequences of war and the effects of trauma.
Hollywood Park: A Memoir by Mikel Jollett
Mikel Jollett spent the first five years of his life isolated from his family in the cult known as Synanon. After his escape with his mother and older brother, life with his family is marked by poverty, abuse, and addiction. Hollywood Park is the story of how the author grew up to be a graduate of Stanford and a successful musician and writer.
Recommended for audiobook fans, this title is read by the author and even includes music from the author’s band.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
If you’re looking for a lighter read, Trevor Noah’s memoir is laugh-out-loud funny. The author brings his trademark wit and humor to his experience growing up in South Africa. As the child of a black mother and a white father during Apartheid, Noah’s existence was literally a crime. As he recounts the hijinks of his youth as well as the more serious aspects of growing up, his storytelling will have you captivated.